Navigation

Friday, April 15, 2005

Sri Lanak Bill makes Religious Conversion a Criminal Act

Rathnasiri Wickramanayake, a member of the government cabinet of Sri Lanka has presented the "Act for protection of Religious Freedom" bill, which is one of two bills written to severely restrict religious expression and conversion - in direct violation of the Sri Lanka Constitution. Some aspects of the bill include:

"Allurement" to another religion would be criminal. Any social activity or act of service, such as providing food, shelter or education, could be considered "allurement" and a crime.0

Any act considered to express "religious displeasure" can be addressed with force.

Religious conversion or attempted conversion will be criminal. An individual following their Christian faith could be considered "behaviour designed to cause a person to embrace a religion."

Reverend Frank Marcus Fernando of the Presbyterian Diocese of Chilaw states "Considering the sustained attacks on Christianity during the past few years - ably assisted by a certain sections of the media - we have come to realize that all this including the bills is the gradual unfolding of a hidden agenda to destroy any vestige of Christianity in our land."